Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar -- A Guide for Beginners

Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar -- A Guide for Beginners Review

This review is for "Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar -- A Guide for Beginners." I also bought the Fender "Getting Started on Electric Guitar" DVD. Do not bother buying both DVD courses; they are essentially the same. In fact, one half of the content is exactly the same.

This course is excellent. Obviously a great deal of thought went into the production of this DVD at-home guitar course. If you just got your guitar and do not even know how to tune it, this DVD is a great place to start. In fact, it will probably be best for you to start with this DVD (for about three months) before you start taking guitar lessons from a live instructor. This course probably works best with teenagers and adults. Children will probably need help from a parent (it should not matter whether or not the parent plays guitar).

This course will teach you how to tune your guitar and how to play basic open-string chords. With this knowledge, you will be able to play rhythm guitar for simple songs fairly quickly. Song chords may be found in numerous places online, as well as in guitar fake books sold here on Amazon. Being able to quickly have fun playing one's guitar helps motive one to continue learning how to play. The Fender course also teaches barre chords, notes on the sixth and fifth strings (to enable you to locate the root notes and placement of barre chords), three-string power chords (for easy rock 'n' roll), and the A minor pentatonic scale (so you can play simple leads).

In short, the Fender course is an excellent resource for the new guitar player. It will not teach you how to read music, and it will not teach you any music theory, but it will teach you everything most new guitar players need to learn to play chord progressions. For example, with this course alone (and songs you get from the internet), you will be able to play rhythm guitar while you sing.

"Learn and Master Guitar" by Steve Krenz is (by far) a better and more comprehensive course. If you are serious about learning guitar (it is a 20 DVD course, so you better be serious), then try that course in addition to the Fender course. That course is equivalent to two years of guitar instruction (there is even a home-school version.). Another great DVD set for the new guitar player is the Rock House "Learn Electric Guitar" course. A good book on music theory is Hal Leonard's "Music Theory for Guitarists" (by Tom Kolb). If you wish to learn how to sight-read music, a good course is the Berklee "A Modern Method for Guitar - Volume 1: Book/DVD-ROM Pack." Most are available here on Amazon.

Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar -- A Guide for Beginners Feature

• Published by Fender, Hudson Music and Hal Leonard
• DVD featuring Keith Wyatt
• Artist: Keith Wyatt

Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar -- A Guide for Beginners Overview

By far the most comprehensive DVD ever offered for the beginner guitarist---well over 3 hours long! Over 50 Interactive Lessons!

Step-by-step lessons incorporating clear, easy-to-follow 3-D graphics and unique play-along tracks teach the viewer the essential chords, scales, and techniques used by acoustic guitar players in every popular style, including rock, blues and country. This DVD is separated into two major sections:

1)The First Step: tuning up · string names · essential chords and scales used by all players · music reference section (notes, rhythms, chords and scales) · practice tips · fretting-hand technique · picking-hand technique · backing tracks for play-along · animated 3-D fretboard graphics.

2)Play Acoustic!: rhythm technique (bare finger/thumb, bass/chord, fingerstyle, etc.) · soloing technique (chord embellishment, open-string chords, using a capo) · electrified acoustic · rock, blues and country styles · rhythm and solo technique in each style · backing tracks in each style for play-along · tips on caring for your instrument from the Fender Custom Shop.

Special DVD Features include: Bonus footage, including a Fender Factory Tour! Also: Web links, including a web site specifically designed for beginning guitarists · Multi-language feature so you can hear the DVD in English, Spanish, German, French, or Japanese.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 29, 2010 03:01:06

Being Human: Season 1

Being Human: Season 1 Review

"Being Human" is another of the UK's gifts to mankind and has thankfully been imported to our shores unlike the even more awesome Dead Set, which is still only enjoyable to Americans with region free DVD players. The sitcom premise (a werewolf, ghost, and vampire sharing a flat) of this one belies it's flair for the dramatic. Not that Being Human isn't funny; it's very funny, but I wouldn't qualify it as a pure comedy by any stretch. The heart and soul of this show is the relationships between the characters and the strength they are able to muster together outweighing their many individual weaknesses and failings. The British have certainly been gathering a lot of steam on the supernatural/sci-fi television front and soon they may overtake America's offerings altogether. Let's just hope this one lasts.

The cast, then. Mitchell is the classic brooding vampire cut from the Angel mold. That is to say he's a former hell-raiser who has turned over a new leaf and is attempting to live a "normal" murder-free life. But old habits die hard. Whereas many vamp stories of this nature equate the vampire's hunger with drug addiction, in Mitchell's case his seems to be something even more applicable in the males of our species: sexual desire. His victims are typically one-night stands, and his denial of responsibility is about to bite him in the rear even as his former comrades put designs in motion to bring him back into the fold. Annie is the best character in my opinion. She's an outwardly cheerful spirit who is trying to figure out why she has been unable to pass on and she desperately wants to make contact with her fiance, who has moved on in life. In my opinion, her journey is the most interesting and dramatic as she eventually learns that the very emotions that make her feel vulnerable and weak can also give her great power. Just a great lovable, and relatable character. George is a bit of a mixed bag. He's whiny, shrill, and annoying in a way I've never really seen in a lead character but that wussiness is juxtaposed with the beast he harbors within him, which makes it interesting. Every full moon he undergoes a grotesque and agonizing transformation into a monstrous wolf and then awakens the next day not knowing where he is or what he's done. It's very American Werewolf in London, but who can argue with the classics? The supporting cast may actually be stronger then the primaries. Mitchell's sire, Herrick, is the series' main villain whose desire is to lead the vampires in an all-out war with humanity and he is extremely well-played. Lauren is Mitchells' last "conquest" who comes back to haunt him and raises a bit og hell in his life and there's also a freeloading werewolf who takes to teaching George the finer points of living with lychanthropy as well as an apathetic gothpop-loving ghost who takes a shine to Annie. Even as these fellows of the characters teach them more about themselves, it becomes apparent that our heroes are not destined to succumb to the ways of their fellows and are in fact stronger and better for having each other to lean on even if it means being outcasts among their own kind as well as humanity.

The show is obviously very low-budget, but George's transformation scenes still look great. The wolf itself....well, it gets the job done and has very little screen time. The primary focus of the first season is on the vampires making their move and attempting to entice Mitchell into returning to the fold. George's attempted relationship with a co-worker who has some secrets of her own and Annie's struggle with coming to terms with the truth about her death are great secondary stories and flashbacks that tell the tales of Mitchell's exploits fill out the rest of the show, leaving just enough room for a little levity. The humor in Being Human is not as central as one would think, but it's very effective. George and Annie's confrontation with an office vampire who assures them that the only reason he hasn't ripped George's face off is because he just did "the hooverin" in there is particularly laugh-out-loud. Then there's Lauren attempting to menace George by telling him about the things that go bump in the night without realizing that he is a werewolf who rooms with a vamp and a ghost. Hard to intimidate that guy with scary stories. On the other hand there is some pretty devastating stuff in the show as well, such as an episode where Mitchell befriends a boy he saved from some bullies only to wind up being accused of pedophilia and be assaulted and harassed by the entire neighborhood. Not the kind of attention a group of supernaturals in hiding need. The balance between the character-based comedy and drama is nearly perfect at times. Plus, the title premise is a very strong one in that it leads us to question what it is that truly makes us human. It's a theme that is very common, but always compelling. Turns out that being a monster is just a part of being human. But you knew that already didn't you?

Being Human is not yet on the level of American shows like Buffy and Supernatural, but it isn't far off. The first season was a mere 6 episodes, but the amount that is accomplished storywise in that time is extraordinary. If they extended the seasons to at least twice that to make more room for character development and humor, I feel this could be one of the best shows out there, period. Good news is, season two is underway. Being Human is must-see tv for fans of supernatural/fantasy/sci-fi dramas. There is an American remake planned, but don't wait for the pale, watered-down imitation. Get with the real deal.

Being Human: Season 1 Overview

Being Human is a witty and extraordinary look into the lives of three twenty-somethings and their secret double-lives - as a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost – as they struggle to live normally despite their strange and dark secrets. George (Russell Tovey) and Mitchell (Aidan Turner) work in anonymous drudgery as hospital porters in Bristol, England. They lead lives of quiet desperation under the burden of a terrible secret - Mitchell's a vampire and George a werewolf. Deciding to start life afresh and leave behind the dark side, they move into a house, only to find that Annie (Lenora Crichlow), the ghost of a woman killed in mysterious circumstances, haunts it. As the threesome deal with the challenges of their new lives together, they're united in their desire to blend in with their human neighbors. But with unwelcome intruders into their world, a threatened revolution from the vampire underworld, constant threats of exposure, and the day-to-day issues faced by young people - the only thing they may be able to rely on is each other.

Being Human: Season 1 Specifications

A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost share an apartment in Bristol, England--it's not a joke, it's a supernatural TV series from the BBC! The smoldering vampire, Mitchell (Aiden Turner), struggles to change his bloodsucking ways; the werewolf, George (Russell Tovey), is a jittery guy who won't truly acknowledge and accept his curse; and the ghost, Annie (Lenora Crichlow), pines for her lost fiancé and has no idea what's keeping her tied to the living world. Over the course of the first season's six hour-long episodes, they face hidden secrets, a manipulative older werewolf, a vampire protégé out for revenge, mob prejudice, a doorway to the beyond, and an impending vampire takeover of the world. But the show's theme is right in the title, Being Human: the plot developments are really opportunities for the characters to grapple with fundamental human experiences, from dating anxiety to profound loss. It's unfortunate that expressing human nature all too often involves a lot of whining and mawkish emoting here, and the series has no coherent rules about supernatural powers (vampires can walk around in broad daylight, sometimes ghosts can be touched and sometimes they can't--basically, whatever's convenient to the current plot). None of this stops the passionate fan base of Being Human, who connect with the charismatic cast, the dramatic story arcs, and the nifty special effects (George's transformation into wolfdom is always a winner). The season 1 collection features plenty of extras, from deleted scenes to cast interviews and more. --Bret Fetzer

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 21, 2010 18:01:07

The Closer: Complete First Season

The Closer: Complete First Season Review

First season gives background of Brenda Johnson's past and her association with her boss now in Los Angeles. A romance is blossoming between her and an F.B.I. agent.Reluctance to a woman in charge leads to conflict within her new department. Her bluntness with people is delightful.

This is the first of the series and it is a good start to watch as the characters begin to fill out their personalities. I recomend "The Closer" as a crime show with heart and a woman's determination to do her job.

The Closer: Complete First Season Feature

• ISBN13: 0012569806405
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

The Closer: Complete First Season Overview

Synopsis: An offbeat personality, a tough-as-nails approach and a track record as one of the country's leading investigators--these are just a few of the traits exhibited by television's next great detective, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, played by three-time Golden Globe Award nominee Kyra Sedgwick in "The Closer." In her first lead role in a dramatic series, Sedgwick plays a tough CIA-trained detective, with Southern charm, who has been brought from Atlanta to Los Angeles to head up the Priority Murder Squad, a special unit of the LAPD that handles sensitive, high-profile murder cases. "The Closer" is executive produced by the team behind "Nip/Tuck."

DVD Features:
Deleted Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Deleted Scenes

The Closer: Complete First Season Specifications

Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick, Personal Velocity) isn't about making friends, she's about getting results. Days after her transfer from Atlanta, the LAPD's Priority Homicide Division decides they can't work with the blunt-talking Southern belle. Fortunately, she has former CIA colleague, Assistant Police Chief Will Pope (J.K. Simmons, Spider-Man), on her side. As he explains to Captain Taylor (Robert Gossett), who she has just replaced, "She is not miss congeniality...but she's a closer." Set to the sound of urban blues, TNT's The Closer is Columbo by way of Prime Suspect. In other words, Johnson may be as messy as Oscar Madison, but she's as sharp as Sherlock Holmes. Throughout the first season, she'll solve 13 murders, including those of a reclusive mathematician, a Russian prostitute, and a British butler. She won't get much support from her colleagues, except for Sergeant David Gabriel (Corey Reynolds, Broadway’s Hairspray)--to the consternation of his co-workers, like Detective Lieutenants Provenza (G.W. Bailey, M*A*S*H) and Flynn (Tony Denison, Melrose Place). Johnson also has a friend in FBI Special Agent Fritz Howard (Jon Tenney, You Can Count on Me). With his help, she'll eventually settle into her new environment, especially when she lands a house and a cat on the same day (conveniently left behind by a victim). Just as it takes awhile for the chief to grow on her squad--and to get used to driving in LA--Sedgwick's Golden Globe-nominated performance follows a similar trajectory. Fortunately, "Scarlett O'Hara," as the droll Provenza dubs her, becomes more fully-rounded as the season progresses, aided by a superb SAG Award-nominated ensemble cast. Consulting producer on The Closer is former LA District Attorney Gil Garcetti of O.J. infamy. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 04, 2010 10:01:06